"Death? It was someone's life coming to an end. A part of life that everyone can never avoid."
A whisper came from Vincent's mouth. For some reason, a scene had crossed his mind explicitly.
A cold dark room where everything seemed to be swallowed by the darkness, and the longer he stared there, the more he wandered aimlessly.
Vincent leaned, putting down the cup of tea he was holding. His gaze fell over Rezef. A different tension seemed to resurface now that there were no fake smiles between them. People say that no matter how true you are, there will always be different faces you use on different occasions.
Gone was the mischievousness and outgoing aura he excluded. Now, he was as serious as him. Under the beautiful lights of the room and the silent atmosphere enveloping them, the topic they were talking about was too sinister.
Right, it was like this. This world they live in. The reflection of how disgusting everything in this society was that Someone's life could just be a stepping stone for them to gain power- an existence for opportunities.
'Death, hmmm'
It was easy to talk about death before as a passing topic that could be shrugged over once it was over. However, as someone who had already experienced what it was like to have someone's life slip from your hands, not once but twice, death was something he could never take lightly.
"You can be sentenced to death right now." That was Vincent's answer.
"You know that the Halstead has close ties with the royal family. The royals are protecting us at the same time, using us at their disposal. My sister," Vincent's words drifted. He had fallen into a daze as the cogs inside his mind worked hard to make everything sense.
Vincent wasn't dumb despite being a little younger than his adopted sister. He considered his choices very well and acted by means of elimination. Everything he saw was a variable for the future that he forgot about the present.
The now.
That flaw resurfaced in his mind just now in this talk.
It was only sinking to him right now.
The role of Neirin.
His father's different attitude toward his sudden death. A deal coming from a thief and why his father had risked everything they had just for her to stand in the middle of the light.
Neirin Circe Halstead was, by any means, a wall to protect him. She is a perfect doll that can be manipulated behind the scenes if she is naïve and has an easy body to throw away if something unexpected happens.
She, a person walking with smiles and warm, gentle hugs can be disposable.
He remembered her words. The deal in which they both agreed and her words that has the meaning that she understood where she needed to stand very well. He thought he understood those words, but he was wrong.
Neirin solely exists for him.
She was his protection while he was here in this academy, establishing connections.
"Vincent?" Rezef words pulled him out of his trance.
Vincent blinked, trying to gather his composure.
He tried to remember the following words.
He continued, "If the royal family found out the words and sentence you just said earlier, you can be labeled as someone waging war and starting treason. In these ripples of chances, my sister held the stronger influence over all the nobles because she was the only successor that my father has acknowledged besides me having his blood. She passed through countless examinations and even possible rundown of the future."
Rezef accepted his words without interrupting him.
"That's right, everything, the fragile peace, and even the connection that exists now can be easily tip over because of my sister's existence. She Is the one the royal family is holding right now to keep us in check. Her existence was pulled through the stage, under the light, to protect me."
Vincent's gaze met Rezef, who was calm and composed despite saying such statements, facts, and truths. "You are telling me to stab the back of the person that was sacrificing everything for me?"
"Despite her grand place in your life, Vincent." Rezef looked down at the cups on the table. He used his index finger tracing the mouth of the teacup.
" She doesn't have your trust. Although you have her assurance, the future can change. Arrogance, greed, and even selfishness will always exist in a person's heart and mind, no matter how kind they are. We are humans, Vincent. Although she looks like a saint right now, no one knows when she'll stab you like every other person in this sickening society. I am not telling you to kill her."
Rezef raised his gaze.
"I am only giving you a rope that you can pull in case she drowned you in the future." Rezef clasped his hands as he smiled kindly at Vincent. "That's why I called this a partnership."
Silence lingered longer than expected. No one knew what was inside the mind of these two heirs talking about their family's demise.
The night seemed to be longer than any other night they encountered.
Vincent scoffed as he said, "Tell me more."
--
Neirin was inside a specific room in the court of miracles. She passed through different doors and put other codes and passwords through those doors until she reached a door at the very end. She left her escort in a separate room. Although Clarence religiously stayed inside, Neirin gave him a word that he can look around if he want to.
Neirin stared at her final destination inside this court. It was a double door with no decorations, just plain wood placed there without meaning. However, to Neirin and the former duke, this place contains different secrets that even the most significant person in this empire would kill to have.
This room has different collections of every important figure's secret.
The room of the spectators.
Like the name sounds, a spectator only sees and reads through the actors without interfering. However, the spectators also write down everything they see and collect them in a particular place for their knowledge and reference.
They learn through other people's experiences.
As soon as Neirin entered, the room was massive. She immediately saw the four chandeliers hanging on the ceiling and the different book shelves with meaningless books and titles.
'A guide to the horse.'
'life is meaningless; just throw it all away.'
'How to court a lady with different husbands'
She walked around looking at the different titles. A smile formed her lips as her fingers brushed through the soft feeling of the books.
Each book inside this room contains letters and stories that do not make sense at first, but if one person was able to learn how to read them, then that person would be the most influential person Neirin would ever know.
Duke Sebastian doesn't trust anyone. These books were collections of his knowledge and observations throughout the years. And every book can be considered his diary.
In her previous life, Neirin had read through these books. That was why she held on to the high society for so long even though she was only new without any experience.
She threatens people with their secrets. Then, she corners them with their fear. As soon as they give what her exceptions were, she will continue to press them even further and chain them up so that they could not run away from her. Her mouth was cursed with poison because of these books. She was thankful for that.
Neirin learned how to read facial expressions and assumed different possibilities with their actions and expression. With this, she was able to get everything she wanted back from her previous life.
However, looking back at these books now, she realized how worthless she acted back before. These books do not exist solely for threatening people with their secrets.
These books exist like a map for a future you wanted to draw. These books were also threads and chains to keep people in check and in place. Books give knowledge and power. It was different from the power money can hold.
These books can be a curse or a blessing.
As soon as Neirin stopped, she looked at the book that had the cover gray and the title ' Little miss swan wanted to swim'
She slowly opened the cover and began to read the pages and words. A few minutes later, she chuckled and flipped the book to a different angle. She then moved to the desk and opened a specific light glued to the desk.
This light caused a further reflection on the book's pages, illuminating different letters. However, the puzzle does not end in that. Neirin grabbed a quill as she started decoding the different symbols on the paper.
The key figures to the future.
If she wanted to protect the Halstead she should get acquainted with them one by one and start with the one who is always close to the emperor and the most powerful person in the imperial's inner circle.
His advisor.
--